BMR (Schofield) Calculator
The formula
What the bmr (schofield) tells you
The calorie floor and ceiling for bmr (schofield): resting burn plus lifestyle, from the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — the one dietetic bodies still endorse.
Calculation: Mifflin-St Jeor BMR = 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5 (men) −161 (women); TDEE = BMR × activity. Enter your inputs and every substitution is shown below the result.
Reading the result
±10 % is the honest error band; nudge the target up or down by 200 kcal after two weeks on the scale.
Limitations and best practice
Activity multipliers flatter everyone — if weight is static, the true multiplier is the lower one.
This calculator gives an estimate based on standard formulas; it is not professional financial, medical, legal or engineering advice. Verify anything you plan to act on with a qualified professional and your own records.
Frequently asked questions
Why not Harris-Benedict?
How fast should I lose?
Source & methodology
Mifflin-St Jeor (1990), ADA-endorsed.
BMR (Schofield): what this tool answers
You are here because you need a specific number, and you want to see how it was produced before you rely on it. There are plenty of pages about BMR (Schofield); almost none of them show the working. This one does: the formula, every input, a fully computed example, and a sensitivity analysis calculated live from this engine’s own defaults.
In Health & Medical the same quantity is often quoted under two or three different conventions. The formula printed above fixes one convention and applies it consistently, which is what makes results from this page comparable with each other.
The useful way to hold BMR (Schofield) is as a ratio with a story attached: Mifflin-St Jeor BMR = 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5 (men) −161 (women); TDEE = BMR × activity says how the parts combine, and the 2,697 kcal figure above is simply that sentence written in numbers. Everything that follows unpacks one clause of the sentence at a time.
Every figure in the prose is generated by the engine rather than written beside it — the worked example resolves to daily maintenance (TDEE) = 2,697 kcal on the default inputs, and the sensitivity section ranks the inputs that move the result — Height first, at ≈5.9 % of the headline for a ten-percent error either way in that input. Read the sections in order and you will be able to reproduce every figure by hand.
Every input in BMR (Schofield), and what it does to the answer
The engine implements a single stated model: Mifflin-St Jeor BMR = 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5 (men) −161 (women); TDEE = BMR × activity. There is no hidden coefficient and no login-gated precision — the formula printed is the formula executed, which is also what makes the result citable.
Weight (kg) (example value 96) is a measured number in the unit named by the label; the formula does not convert for you. Weigh rather than estimate where you can — this field usually enters the formula multiplicatively.
Height (cm) (example value 185) is a plain measured quantity — the unit shown in the label is the unit the formula expects. Keep every length field in the same unit; the formula assumes a consistency it cannot check for you.
Age (years) (example value 32) is a quantity rather than a category — precision here is cheap and worth having. If the period is partial, decide whether you mean elapsed or planned time and keep that meaning across every field.
Sex (example value Male) is a branching choice rather than a figure you measure; the per-option effects are computed below. If you are unsure what belongs in this field, look at the printed steps: the substitution shows exactly how the engine uses it.
Activity multiplier (example value Light (1–3×/wk)) is a branching choice rather than a figure you measure; the per-option effects are computed below. Replace the example with the figure from your own records — the tool recomputes instantly and the printed steps follow your numbers.
What each “Sex” choice actually does: Male → 2,697 kcal · Female → 2,468 kcal — each value above is the model’s own output for that option, so the choice can be made on evidence rather than on what a category feels like it means.
What each “Activity multiplier” choice actually does: Sedentary → 2,354 kcal · Light (1–3×/wk) → 2,697 kcal · Moderate (3–5×) → 3,040 kcal · Hard (6–7×) → 3,383 kcal · Athlete / physical job → 3,726 kcal — each value above is the model’s own output for that option, so the choice can be made on evidence rather than on what a category feels like it means.
The default BMR (Schofield) calculation, written out in full
The tool prints its own working; this is the same arithmetic on the example values, reproduced so you can follow it by hand. Starting figures: Weight (kg), Height (cm), Age (years), Sex. The computed daily maintenance (TDEE) comes out at 2,697 kcal, which the interpretation band labels “High demand — fueling plans matter as much as training”.
- BMR = 10×96 + 6.25×185 − 5×32 + 5 = 1,961 kcal
- TDEE = 1,961 × 1.375 = 2,697 kcal
BMR (coma calories) — 1,961 kcal. Read next to the headline, this is the figure that shows the shape of the trade-off.
Per kg bodyweight — 28 kcal/kg. This is the number experienced users quote when the headline alone would mislead.
Protein anchor (1.6 g/kg) — 153.6 g. If your inputs change, this is usually the first companion figure to move.
Keep this worked example open while you enter your own figures: matching the shape of the substitution is the fastest way to spot a unit or convention mistake.
Scenario table: BMR (Schofield) at ±10 % and ±20 % of the key input
Read this table as the practical error bar on the headline figure. It answers the question people actually have after seeing a single number: how wrong could this be if the main input is off by ten or twenty percent?
| Height setting | Daily maintenance (TDEE) |
|---|---|
| 80 % of the example value | 2,379 kcal |
| 90 % of the example value | 2,538 kcal |
| example inputs | 2,697 kcal |
| 110 % of the example value | 2,856 kcal |
| 120 % of the example value | 3,015 kcal |
The corridor runs from 2,379 kcal to 3,015 kcal across that band — which is the range worth planning inside rather than the single 2,697 kcal point estimate. Reproduce it in the form above by editing Height alone; the substitution steps will follow your figures exactly.
The levers behind BMR (Schofield), ranked by effect
This list was computed for this specific engine just now: each numeric input was nudged ±10 % while every other field held its example value, and the daily maintenance (TDEE) was recalculated from scratch. It is the fastest honest answer to “what matters most in BMR (Schofield)?” — and it is specific to these defaults, because sensitivity moves with the starting point.
- Nudge Height by ±10 % and BMR (Schofield) lands between 2,538 kcal and 2,856 kcal (sensitivity ≈5.9 %)
- Weight: ten percent up gives 2,829 kcal, ten percent down gives 2,565 kcal — ≈4.9 % of the daily maintenance (TDEE) either way
- Nudge Age by ±10 % and BMR (Schofield) lands between 2,675 kcal and 2,719 kcal (sensitivity ≈0.8 %)
Height is the dominant lever here: ten percent either way moves the result by about 5.9 %, from 2,538 kcal to 2,856 kcal. Measure that input from a document rather than from memory, and treat Weight as the second priority (≈4.9 % per ten percent). The remaining fields can sit at safe defaults without materially changing the answer — knowing which is which is what separates a careful calculation from an anxious one.
Is your BMR (Schofield) good — reading the result bands
Nobody acts on a bare figure — they act on a figure with a comparison attached. On the example inputs the band reads “High demand — fueling plans matter as much as training”; your own figures place you on a different rung of the same ladder. How much of that band is luck? On Height alone ten percent either way covers 2,538 kcal to 2,856 kcal. The practical reading rules: ask what would have to change to move you one band. If the answer is “a small, plausible input difference”, the band itself is not the finding — the uncertainty is.
Where BMR (Schofield) sits next to similar measures: this tool answers “how much is the BMR (Schofield)”, while the related calculators answer “what do I do about it”. Reading the result alone tends to over-weight a single snapshot; pairing it with the companion tools above turns the number into a decision.
Why BMR (Schofield) results go wrong — and how to prevent it
Activity multipliers flatter everyone — if weight is static, the true multiplier is the lower one. This calculator gives an estimate based on standard formulas; it is not professional financial, medical, legal or engineering advice. Verify anything you plan to act on with a qualified professional and your own records.
Comparing a BMR (Schofield) computed here with a figure from another source that uses different conventions. Same name, different denominator — the disagreement is usually in the definitions, not the data.
This model has its own particular trap: Height carries ≈5.9 % of the response per ten percent of error, so effort spent elsewhere is largely decorative.
A final trap is presentation: reporting BMR (Schofield) to more decimal places than the inputs support. The tool prints what the arithmetic gives; you should quote only what your least precise field justifies.
A quick check for any BMR (Schofield) figure
- Note the date and the inputs beside the number so the figure can be audited later.
- Verify each input against its original source document, not memory.
- Put Height under a magnifier; the sensitivity table above is the reason why.
- Re-run the calculation with a ±10 % stress on the two most sensitive inputs.
- State, in one sentence, which convention each rate, unit or period in the form is using.
- Repeat the ±10 % test on the inputs that matter and see whether the decision — not just the number — still holds.
Five steps from raw inputs to a figure you can defend
Using a calculator well sounds trivial, but the difference between a decision-grade figure and a throwaway one lives entirely in the routine. The routine for BMR (Schofield) takes a minute to learn and applies to every input above.
Step 1 — one document, one pass. Open the statement, label or record that holds weight (kg), height (cm), age (years), sex, activity multiplier and transcribe straight into the form. Transcription from a single source removes the mismatch errors that appear when figures are assembled from three different places. The inputs are the part of the work that nobody else can do for you.
Step 2 — enter the conservative case first. Resist the flattering scenario. Type the inputs you would defend in front of a sceptical reader, read the Daily maintenance (TDEE) (2,697 kcal for the example values), and note the verdict band. If the verdict changes with a ten-percent nudge, report the nudge alongside the number.
Step 3 — isolate your variables. Change one field, observe, revert. The live sensitivity list does the ranking for the default inputs; verify it against your own, because dominance shifts when the starting point shifts. Say the answer out loud before you save it; if it sounds wrong, the model did not change, your understanding did.
Step 4 — stress before you commit. A decision that survives a ten-percent squeeze on its two biggest inputs needs no luck to be sound. One that does not survive is a decision about hope, not about arithmetic. If the answer changes your behaviour, it deserves a second run with different assumptions.
Step 5 — schedule the next run. In Health & Medical the inputs drift quietly. Put a reminder a quarter out, re-enter the same fields, and read the change rather than the level. A result worth acting on survives having its two shakiest inputs halved.
Where BMR (Schofield) matters in practice
Most Nutrition disagreements are arithmetic disagreements in disguise. When Daily maintenance (TDEE) of 2,697 kcal sits on the table with its working shown, the conversation stops being about who sounds more confident and starts being about which input is wrong. A figure nobody can reproduce is a figure nobody will act on twice.
Professionals in Nutrition use this style of calculation as a screening filter before spending real money or effort: a quick BMR (Schofield) check eliminates weak options in minutes, and the survivors earn the deeper, slower analysis. Rounding early is the quietest way to introduce a permanent error.
Treat BMR (Schofield) like a smoke alarm rather than a painting — its value is in being tested periodically, not in being admired once. Rounding early is the quietest way to introduce a permanent error.
Quick answers: what searchers ask about BMR (Schofield)
What affects BMR (Schofield) the most?
The short answer: Height. The longer answer is the sensitivity table on this page, where every numeric input was probed by ten percent and the daily maintenance (TDEE) recalculated — Height moved it furthest, by roughly 5.9 % (2,538 kcal to 2,856 kcal).
Which matters more: weight or height?
By the numbers, Height: a ten-percent change in it moves the result ≈5.9 %, versus ≈4.9 % for Weight. Spend your measuring effort in that order — precision on the weaker lever buys almost nothing.
How much does the “Sex” choice change the answer?
A great deal, on these inputs: BMR (Schofield) comes out at 2,468 kcal on the lowest option (“Female”) and 2,697 kcal on the highest (“Male”). Each option is listed with its computed value so you can see what the choice is worth before you make it.
What is a typical BMR (Schofield)?
There is no honest universal average for BMR (Schofield), but there is a reference point: the defaults on this page produce 2,697 kcal (High demand — fueling plans matter as much as training). Replace the inputs with your own and compare — that comparison is the useful meaning of “typical”.
How do I calculate BMR (Schofield) by hand?
Mifflin-St Jeor BMR = 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5 (men) −161 (women); TDEE = BMR × activity is the entire method. Work the inputs in that order — BMR = 10×96 + 6.25×185 − 5×32 + 5 = 1,961 kcal — and you will reach 2,697 kcal on the default figures, the same number this tool prints.
What happens to BMR (Schofield) if height changes by 10 %?
Try it in the form above and the printed substitution will follow you; the pre-computed answer for the defaults is 2,538 kcal to 2,856 kcal across the ten-percent probe, i.e. ≈5.9 % sensitivity on the daily maintenance (TDEE).
Is the BMR (Schofield) result of 2,697 kcal good or bad?
Neither, on its own — the label “High demand — fueling plans matter as much as training” is the band this figure falls in for the example inputs, and your own inputs will place you elsewhere on the same ladder. Judge the number against your history and your alternatives, and remember that a ten-percent error in Height alone moves it by ≈5.9 %.
What affects BMR (Schofield) the most?
Sensitivity depends on where you start, but the inputs Weight (kg) and Height (cm) typically move BMR (Schofield) further than the rest because they enter the formula multiplicatively. If you can only measure two things well, measure those and hold the others at conservative defaults.
Is BMR (Schofield) accurate?
The arithmetic is exact: Mifflin-St Jeor BMR = 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5 (men) −161 (women); TDEE = BMR × activity is evaluated with full floating-point precision and every substitution is printed in the worked example. What limits accuracy is input quality and the model’s assumptions, so treat the 2,697 kcal result as the correct answer to the question you typed — and check the assumptions section before acting on it.
Why not Harris-Benedict?
Original H-B runs hot for modern populations; revised H-B lands within a point or two of Mifflin for average builds.
How fast should I lose?
0.5–1 % of bodyweight per week preserves muscle; beyond that the deficit starts eating lean mass.
Do I need an account to use this BMR (Schofield) calculator?
No, and no data leaves the tab. The engine runs in the page itself, which is why the worked example, the bands and the sensitivity ranking all respond instantly to your keystrokes.
What the labels on this page mean
- BMR (coma calories)
- 1,961 kcal in the default BMR (Schofield) calculation — one of the secondary figures an experienced reader checks before trusting the primary number.
- Per kg bodyweight
- 28 kcal/kg in the default BMR (Schofield) calculation — one of the secondary figures an experienced reader checks before trusting the primary number.
- Protein anchor (1.6 g/kg)
- 153.6 g for the BMR (Schofield) worked case; it sits next to the main result because it carries context the headline leaves out.
- Daily maintenance (TDEE)
- The primary output of this tool: 2,697 kcal for the default inputs, computed exactly from Mifflin-St Jeor BMR = 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5 (men) −161 (women); TDEE = BMR × activity.
- Worked example
- Every substitution in order, from the example inputs to 2,697 kcal — the audit trail for the headline figure.
- Verdict band
- A named zone on the range of plausible results; the example inputs land in “High demand — fueling plans matter as much as training”, and your inputs may not.
- Sensitivity (±10 %)
- How far the BMR (Schofield) moves when a single input is nudged ten percent either way; the ranked list on this page is computed live from this engine.
Methodology, sources and limits
There is no black box on this page — the engine evaluates Mifflin-St Jeor BMR = 10w + 6.25h − 5a + 5 (men) −161 (women); TDEE = BMR × activity. Source of record: Mifflin-St Jeor (1990), ADA-endorsed. Any other implementation of this model should return the same figure for the same inputs. If one does not, the difference is in its assumptions — which this page prints and that one probably does not.
This page is an estimation aid, not professional advice. The design rule is simple: two people entering identical figures must get identical answers. The design constraint was set by usefulness rather than by comfort: an estimate you can interrogate beats an answer you have to trust.
After the number: what to do with it
Save the number together with its inputs and today’s date; a BMR (Schofield) figure without context is unusable the moment an input changes.
The audience here is people who need one trustworthy number before their next decision. Everything you need to defend the result — formula, substitution, sensitivity, source — is printed above, so the only remaining variable is the honesty of your inputs.